


candles and ice cream

by mikeandwill



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Meetings, M/M, Malec, Shadowhunters - Freeform, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 21:27:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11609280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikeandwill/pseuds/mikeandwill
Summary: There's a blackout in New York City. Alec remembers his neighbour across the hall always seems to be bringing home candles. Alec has food that he can trade for light. Knocking on his gorgeous neighbour's door to make a formal offer is only logical. A matter of survival, really. Alec undoing a few of the buttons on his shirt as he crosses the hall? That's only because the blackout has come on the hottest day of the year.





	candles and ice cream

**Author's Note:**

> This is from a prompt I found on tumblr, and I felt inspired to write it, credits to the person who came up with the idea! I hope you enjoy :)

It was the hottest day of the year in New York City, temperatures far too high for Alec Lightwood to get away with wearing all black and stepping outside for more than ten minutes. It was a thing of habit, no matter what the weather was he seemed to always throw on a pair of trusty black jeans and a black shirt. He wanted to avoid going out on this particular day, he couldn’t bear it; the sweltering heat would be enough to knock him out. But when he looked inside his fridge, its emptiness starring back at him, he realised that he had no choice. He needed food.

            He left his apartment, in which he lived alone, and headed to the nearest possible store to get some food to last him for a few days. Preferably ice cream, lots of ice cream. Living alone had its perks, but more recently it had become clear that there was more downsides to it. You have to buy your own food, wash your own clothes and basically all that stuff that your mother used to do for you. He contemplated moving back home with his family, he missed his younger siblings, Isabelle and Max, more than anything. It would still be close enough to the place he was studying at; maybe it would mean a slightly longer ride on the subway but that was it. That wasn’t really what was stopping him from leaving his small apartment; it was his neighbour across the hall.

            He knew that sounded ridiculous when he actually thought about it, but ever since he moved in he had always noticed him. In the lobby, unlocking his door to go into his apartment as Alec was leaving his, they even had an encounter in the elevator once. But they exchanged no words at all. After the three months that Alec had been living there he had never spoken a word to him. They just seemed to look at each other from time to time, perhaps exchange a smile, and Alec swore that he once saw him smirking in his direction. He had always intrigued Alec, his unique dress sense and the way he walked fascinated him. He just wanted to find an excuse to speak to him, for once. That’s why he wouldn’t want to move back home, he’d formed an attachment to this guy who he didn’t even know.

            Walking to the store was a very unpleasant experience; Alec felt his hair already starting to stick to his forehead with sweat. Everyone else seemed to be wearing a lot less clothing than he was due to the heat, and he instantly felt out of place. The closest store was only a few minutes away from his apartment building so he got there, got his food (making sure not to forget the ice cream), and made his way back home. He noticed that the sun was beginning to set, so surely it would get cooler at some point. Well, he hoped it would at least.

            Making his way through the lobby he caught sight of his neighbour, talking to someone who was unboxing all kinds of fans and air conditioners. He had a box full of candles with him, _again_. That’s one thing that Alec always seemed to notice about him, he always bought candles home with him. Alec didn’t really question it though. _The guy likes candles. Let him._ Alec couldn’t deny that he started to make his way to the elevator a little bit slower when he noticed that his neighbour was standing there. He did have to admit, he found him extremely attractive, but also found himself starring for too long because he almost walked into one of the sofas. Avoiding it quickly, he sped up and hurried to the elevator. He felt the guy’s eyes on him and his cheeks burned, but he could blame that on the heat, right?

            Alec made it back to his apartment with ease, and when he did he put everything away and fell back onto his sofa with a sigh. He was at that stage in his life where he didn’t really know what to do. He missed his friends and family, it wasn’t like they were far away but he just felt very distant from them. Everything was different, and he often found it difficult to welcome change. He felt like he needed something constant in his life, or perhaps even someone. He didn’t know how long he sat there just thinking, all he knew is that it had gotten dark outside.

            Suddenly, the lights started to flicker. Alec looked up at them in confusion until they completely blacked out and didn’t come on again. He assumed it was a blackout, but he stood up anyway making his way to his door through the darkness. He could still see, the rest of the city lights from his window being his guide. He opened the door and peered down the hall. Sure enough, all the lights were out. He saw a woman from a few doors down talking to someone who worked in the building, and he listened into their conversation briefly.  
            “Yeah, it’s a blackout. Sorry for the inconvenience, the lights should be working by tomorrow morning at the latest.”

            Alec went back inside, suddenly feeling like he had been swallowed by all of the darkness that had surrounded him. He walked to his window and gazed outside, other lights in other buildings started to slowly flicker off, and he guessed it wasn’t just their building being affected. Alec wished he had some candles, and then he remembered someone who always seemed to have candles with them. Alec smiled to himself at the thought. _This was his chance_. He didn’t know why he felt like he had to wait for an excuse to come along, he had plenty of other opportunities to talk to this guy but he never felt like he could get a word out.

            Alec walked out of the door again and shut it behind him. He saw his door across the hall, and the floor in front of him seemed to stretch out as if it would go on forever. He assumed the temperature was getting to his head, and as he slowly crossed the hall he undid a few of the top buttons on his shirt. _Just because of the heat_ , he told himself, _nothing more, nothing less._ Alec ended up in front of the candle guy’s door, well; at least he hoped it was. He worried he’d walked the wrong way in the dark. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door, trying to appear as chilled out as he could.

            The door swung open, revealing the very neighbour that Alec had admired for quite some time now. His choice of clothing was interesting, a silk shirt that made Alec feel basic. His fingers were covered with rings, bracelets lined his wrists and his glitter makeup was glinting in the candlelight that was coming from his own apartment. His hair was styled up and the look on his face was pleasantly surprised yet expectant as if he was waiting for Alec to say something.

            “Yes?” He said, and Alec realised he may have been starring for a bit too long; he thought he looked even more gorgeous up close.

            “Sorry, um, I’m Alec from across the hall-” He started, but he found himself ultimately lost for words.

            “Well, hello Alec from across the hall, I’m Magnus. It’s a pleasure to finally formally introduce ourselves to one another.” Magnus dropped a glittery wink in Alec’s direction. Alec felt as if all the air had been knocked out of him, and he was just stood there smiling like an idiot. He admired the way that Magnus spoke, with a lot of confidence and fluidity and he suddenly wished he could speak like that. It was nice to finally know his name, too, but he also couldn’t believe that this guy just used a dad joke.

            “Yeah, it is.” Alec smiled more, if that was even possible. “Anyway, I’ve come here to make a formal offer.”

            “What does this ‘formal offer’ consist of?” Magnus raised an eyebrow and leant casually on his doorframe whilst crossing his arms.

            “Well, I’ve noticed that you have candles with you a lot and I was just wondering if you could trade some.” Alec shrugged, his eyes shifting to look behind Magnus and into the apartment where he lived. Everything looked rather elegant and stylish, even more so in the candlelight.

            “Trade some for what exactly?” Magnus questioned, his eyes scanning the dark haired boy from head to toe. What Alec didn’t know was Magnus had been admiring him for quite some time, too. He was taller than Magnus by quite a bit, so he found himself looking up more than he usually did. Magnus appreciated his dark hair; he thought it suited him well. His eyes we’re such a beautiful colour he couldn’t even begin to explain, and his lips. Oh, his lips. Magnus found himself starring at them longer than he should have.

            “Well I actually bought a lot of ice cream today since, you know, it’s pretty hot.” Alec shrugged again, and Magnus noticed that he seemed to shrug a lot more than the average person should.

            “You’re pretty hot.” Magnus mumbled under his breath.

            “What?” Alec questioned because he didn’t quite hear what he had said; he thought he must have been mistaken.

            “Nothing.” Magnus smiled. “Although that offer is tempting, I don’t think ice cream is going to cut it. These are premium candles, you know. They aren’t cheap.”

            “What if I told you that the ice cream was also premium?” Alec found himself smirking, suddenly feeling as if a newfound confidence had unlocked itself in him.

            “Okay, how about this. I will give you some candles, in return for some of this premium ice cream. And…” Magnus said, and then looked at Alec thoughtfully for a few more moments. Alec was suddenly worried what this guy was going to come out with, but he wanted to hear it. “Your company.”

            Alec raised an eyebrow, “Why would you want my company?”

            Magnus smirked, again. “I’m bored, and you interest me. It wouldn’t be such a bad thing to get to know each other now would it, Alexander?”

            Alec felt like his heart had dropped in his chest when Magnus used his full name. He had always hated it, when his parents would tell him off as a child they would use that name, but hearing it come from Magnus’ lips was heavenly. There was something about the way he said it, that made Alec’s heart want to burst. Alec found himself wondering why on earth someone like him would interest a guy like Magnus, who was so… eccentric. In a good way, of course.

“I guess not,” Alec smiled, and ran a hand through his hair. He felt like he was overheating again. “I’ll go and get the ice cream.”

            “You do that. I’ll be waiting.” Magnus nodded, and Alec forced himself to turn around and walk back to his own apartment. He didn’t want to take his eyes off Magnus; he was going to see him again in a minute anyway, so why did he care so much?

            Digging through his freezer for the ice cream he had bought earlier, Alec realised that he forgot to ask what flavor he liked and he almost slapped himself. He had bought loads; chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cookie dough, mint choc chip… He contemplated taking them all, but then thought that would be stupid. _It’s just ice cream_ , Alec thought, _stop overthinking it_. Eventually, he decided on the cookie dough, because that was one of his favourites, and he didn’t take Magnus for a fussy guy. If he didn’t like it, he could just come back for more anyway.

            Alec walked back to Magnus’ apartment, and he saw that the door was still open, but Magnus wasn’t standing there. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, and slowly stepped through the door whilst looking around. Despite all of the candlelight, it was still dark, so Alec couldn’t see much. He gripped onto the ice cream; it was so cold it felt like his hand was burning, if that even made sense.

            “Sorry, I’m back.” Magnus appeared out of another door in the apartment. “Come in.” He smiled seeing Alec, and Alec smiled back. He walked in further and closed the door behind him, suddenly realising he was completely alone with this guy; not that he minded whatsoever. He could’ve sworn Magnus had more makeup on than before, but he couldn’t tell.

            “I didn’t know what you liked, so I just brought-” Alec started, holding out the tub of ice cream.

            “Cookie dough,” Magnus cut him off, smiling. “How did you know it was my favourite?”

            After that, the two of them talked for hours on end. Sat on the carpeted floor in Magnus’ living room, surrounded by candlelight and completely devouring the ice cream as they talked. They forgot about the blackout, they forgot it was the hottest day of the year, they just forgot about anything else whilst they were talking to each other. They were so interested in what the other had to say, and it turns out that getting to know each other was actually an excellent idea.

            Embarrassing childhood stories were shared, as were a huge amount of laughs, and Alec blushing a bright shade of red whenever Magnus would innocently drop a flirty comment. Even when the lights flickered back on after a few hours, Alec still stayed. He never wanted to leave. Trading ice cream and company for candles was one thing, but in this short amount of time it was like they had given themselves to each other, and that’s a different story.


End file.
